Million Download Campaign Launches Music Ambassadors Program to Further Artist and Audience Employment

Online, July 24, 2012 (Newswire.com) - New York, NY, In support of Ghana-born Derrick N. Ashong & Soulfège's Million Download Campaign (MDC), the band is now launching their Music Ambassadors Program (MAP) to help further their mission to put the power of music back in the hands of artists and fans where it belongs.

". . . [Soulfège's] members realized they had the platform to reach ears not only with their music-a fusion of thumping African music and rhythms, sweet reggae breezes, funk, and hip-hop-but also with their message."
-The Boston Globe

Since its inception in January, the MDC has generated over 50,000 downloads from more than 50 countries via www.derrickashong.com and had blogs translated into ten different languages using an "open-source" approach to music promotion and distribution. The MDC's mission is to offer a million free downloads of songs and remixes from Derrick N. Ashong & Soulfège's recently released and highly successful CD, AFropolitan, by Christmas of 2012. In conjunction with the MDC, the Music Ambassadors Program hopes to encourage all music fans to help build a grassroots campaign to "break a band" without a corporate label, connect people around the world through the electrifying, consciousness-raising songs of DNA & Soulfège's latest CD, and, quite simply, to change the music industry. Those that participate in the MAP by becoming Music Ambassadors or Street Team Members will receive special perks including free hard copies of CDs , free access to new music, wholesale pricing for merchandise (i.e., T-shirts, etc.), concert ticket give-a-ways, invitations to special events, and public recognition and acknowledgement of their efforts, as well as other benefits.

Wanna be down? Download.

Challenging the traditional proprietary music industry model, the MDC makes a simple, yet revolutionary argument-artists should give away their music for free and encourage fans to download and share it. This approach is based on the statistical reality that fewer than 10% of artists signed to major labels ever make money from their record sales. In contrast to the Mainstream Industry's ongoing campaign of suing fans for downloading music, the MDC harnesses the advance of technology and the power of social-media to empower fans to become the promotional engine for the artists they love. Since the overwhelming majority of musicians don't make money from selling downloads, DNA & Soulfège are proving that both artists and fans can benefit from an open source approach to music promotion-one that encourages fans to do what comes naturally: share the music they love. And now with the launch of the Music Ambassadors Program, DNA & Soulfège are providing a vehicle to further the download capacity of the MDC and to further expand this global outreach campaign.

Use your voice to change the world of music and use music to change the world.

To learn more about the Million Download Campaign or to join the Music Ambassadors Program, visit Derrick N. Ashong & Soulfège on the Web at www.derrickashong.com and download AFropolitan for free and share it on Facebook, Twitter and via e-mail.

Contact info: Janet Castiel, Redwood Entertainment Inc., (212) 543-9998, [email protected]
For more info: Management, M. Quentin B.L. Williams, The Butler Lappert Williams Firm PC, (212) 572-4822,
[email protected], [email protected]
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